Hook Sword

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Hook Swords

The Hook Sword (also Hooksword) is an exotic Chinese weapon, traditionally associated with northern Chinese martial arts, although its use has also been taught by southern schools in more recent times.

Contents

History

Sometimes mentioned as a weapon dating back to ancient times, there is no evidence to prove its existence before the late Qing Dynasty, making the hook sword a recent design relative to other weaponry. Hook swords are non-military weapons, as they are not listed in any official documents of the army, but seem to have been rarely used in any case considering the lack of sharpened models surviving and the considerable training required to effectively wield them. They are used by Shaolin Monks.

Use

Hook sword routines are taught by northern schools like Northern Shaolin and Mantis style, and by a few southern schools such as Choy Lay Fut. These routines tend to be flashy and emphasize the long and flexible range of a pair of these weapons when linked.

There are five components to the hook sword that are useful in battle:

The back, with a blade used like a normal sword.

The hook, used to slash, trip opponents, and catch unfriendly weapons.

The hilt, whose end may be sharpened to a dagger-like point.

The guard, a cresent-shaped piece used for both blocking and slashing

And the link. Because hook swords are often wielded in pairs, they can be linked with a short chain that allows the user to swing one sword, causing the extension to be out as far as six feet.